LGBTQ Policy

Unclear: Affirming

What does this score mean?

Unclear: Affirming

The score for church websites that do notclearly communicate affirming LGBTQ+ policies.

Unclear websites locate policies in peripheral sections of the website (e.g. sermons). Affirming policies located in denominations’ websites do not count towards a church’s score, as affirming denominations do not require churches to be affirming.

Affirming policies place no restrictions on people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Queer; they are allowed to participate and lead at all levels of church leadership and liturgy (e.g. marriage, ordination). Policies must specify both sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in their affirmation -- if only one is addressed, they will be scored as "unclear." Generic "we are inclusive" or "we welcome all" statements do not meet our standard for clarity.

Web Links

Reference Links

Notes

Its actively enforced policy is not located in the website's primary pages, but in a sermon dated 2014 from the former pastor of the church.

See "A Way Forward, Part 3", preached November 23, 2014: "I do believe that welcoming LGBT believers into full inclusion and participation in the body of Christ just like every one of the rest of us sinners is simply a matter of the Church being the Church. No more. No less."

Women in Leadership Policy

Unclear: Egalitarian

What does this score mean?

Unclear: Egalitarian

The score for churches whose egalitarian policies are not adequately reflected in the current leadership personnel as listed on their websites.

Unclear: Egalitarian churches permit women to serve at all levels of leadership within a local church but LACK clear and adequate representation in leadership ranks. Adequate representation = at least one woman or non-male person holds a pastor or minister title or leadership team is at least 50% non-male. If this information is not provided clearly on the website, it's scored as "unclear." If the pastor title is non-distinguishable from pastor titles that women hold in non-egalitarian churches (e.g. "Children's Pastor") then it's scored as "unclear." A Clear: Affirming policy will suffice in lieu of an Egalitarian policy, but Clear or Unclear depends on representation.

Web Links

Notes

Its actively enforced policy is not clearly communicated on the website's primary pages, and its current leadership personnel does not reflect its egalitarian policy. However, as the news article indicates, this church was expelled from the SBC for hiring a female pastor.